2 children die in Putnam fire early Tuesday morning

The bodies of two young children were recovered Tuesday afternoon from the wreckage of a massive fire that ripped through a multi-family Prospect Street home earlier in the day.

John Penney

The bodies of two young children were recovered Tuesday afternoon from the wreckage of a massive fire that ripped through a multi-family Prospect Street home earlier in the day.

State police said the bodies of two girls, a 3-year-old and a 6-month-old, were found early Tuesday afternoon after investigators from state and local fire marshals’ offices spent hours searching the charred upper floors of 6-8 Prospect St.

The girls — siblings — were pronounced dead at the scene and were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsies, state police said. State police Major Crime Squad detectives are conducting an untimely death investigation with assistance from Putnam police.

The case remains under investigation and the cause of the fire has not been determined yet.

The grim task of searching was made more difficult by the severity of the blaze where firefighters spent more than five hours battling flames, smoke and freezing temperatures.

The victims’ parents were among the four unidentified residents initially treated for smoke inhalation and other non-life threatening injuries at Day Kimball Hospital, officials said. The mother, pregnant with twins, was later taken to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, in Worcester, for the treatment of undisclosed injuries, said Police Chief Rick Hayes, who is also the town’s deputy fire marshal.

Crews arrived at the house at approximately 12:40 a.m. to find flames venting from several upper story windows and heavy fire on the south side of the structure, a historic 1867 Victorian-style building resting on a hill surrounded by several narrow side streets, Hayes said. He said first responders attempted to reach the house’s upper floors, but were pushed back by the ferocity of the fire.

“The assistant chief, Bob Campbell, and two police officers — all without fire gear — tried to get inside, but the heat and heavy smoke forced them back,” Hayes said. “Firefighters in full gear then tried to get upstairs where the children were, but by then the entire staircase was engulfed by flames.”

Assistant Fire Chief Norm Perron, who is also the town’s fire marshal, said portions of the structure’s roof and third story — where the victims’ bodies were later located — quickly collapsed onto lower levels, hampering emergency service personal efforts to find the bodies immediately and determine a cause for the fire. Two adjacent homes were also evacuated as smoke poured through the multi-family home.

“The fire burnt through that third-floor and dropped right down to the second,” Perron said.

The fire was determined to be under control by approximately 6 a.m.

Hayes said the fatal fire was especially challenging because of the configuration of the house. He said the structure originally was built as a one-family home and altered through the years into a five-family apartment.

“In order to do that, hallways are blocked off and new walls are added making it a sort of maze for firefighters,” he said. “And what were initially 12-foot ceilings are now 8-feet high, with a large gap in-between. That gap makes it easy for fire to travel from one area to another with nothing to stop it.”

Perron said he has no records of any violations or complaints connected with the house, though state investigators continue to examine the dwelling for possible code issues.

The roof collapse made it necessary for contractors to truck in piles of lumber to shore up the building’s infrastructure while firefighters and investigators from the state fire marshal’s office sifted through debris late Tuesday morning.

Neighbor Dan Glaude said he was awakened early Tuesday by the sound of fire engines and the sight of portable lights.

“I looked out and saw a lot of smoke and turned to my wife,” he said. “By the time I turned back, a burst of flame was coming from the roof and it seemed to go up at all once. It’s a terrible thing. Terrible.”

Brandy Perez, who knew many of the building’s residents, said several families and their children lived in the structure.

“My niece was just here yesterday,” she said. “I’m going home now to get some of my kids’ clothes for the children who got out.”

All of the building’s five apartments were occupied, Hayes said. The apartment building has approximately 4,490 square feet of living space, tax records show.

Red Cross officials said they were assisting one resident with shelter, clothing and food needs and expected to help others.

According to town assessor records, the building is owned by Eastern Connecticut Contractors LLC. Under a current owner section, Bernie Burgos, of Dayville, is listed as a contact. No phone number for Burgos or the company was listed.

Soon after news of the tragedy broke, community groups began finding ways to assist the victims. Putnam Bank has set up a dedicated fund to help the fire victims, said Tom Borner, bank president and chief executive officer. Donations may be made at any of the bank’s branches, he said.

Putnam Mayor Peter Place said he was “devastated” after hearing of the deaths.
“To lose one child is unimaginable, never mind two,” he said. “The community is already gathering supplies for the families. I just feel so very badly for those people.”

Firefighters from several local departments responded to the blaze, including the Putnam, East Putnam and Dayville fire departments. Members of Thompson’s Community Fire Company’s FAST also responded, as did the Putnam Ambulance Service and members of American Medical Response ambulance. A Woodstock fire crew was placed on stand-by in Putnam for the duration of the fire.